


Fluffy Gift

by Hils



Series: The Fluffy Files [31]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-02-06
Updated: 2001-02-06
Packaged: 2018-10-11 01:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10451913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hils/pseuds/Hils





	

As Buffy came back into the shop Spike had to do everything he could to resist the urge to run up and hold her. She looked so tired and weary, with a lifelessness in her eyes that pained him just to look at. It was understandable of course. She'd just been told that in order to save the world there was a chance she was going to have to kill her sister. That was a hell of a thing to have to deal with, especially since she'd only just recovered from the shock of Dawn being captured in the first place. He just wished there was more he could do to make this easier for her. He'd fight of course, it was the least he could do, but somehow he wished he could do more.

"Are you sure?" She asked Giles wearily, looking as though she was about to drop at any moment.

Giles merely nodded. "The texts are very specific. In order to stop the ritual Dawn has to die."

Seeing the stricken look on Buffy's face Willow got to her feet and moved over to her friend.

"Don't worry, Buffy. We'll sort something out. Just don't go into another coma, ok. Dawn needs you."

Buffy smiled gratefully, thankful for her friend's reassuring words. Willow was right; she couldn't fall apart now. Time was the crucial factor in this.

"Ok, we need to get to Dawn before the ritual starts." Buffy said, beginning to pace the floor of the shop as she voiced her thoughts aloud. "But we need to figure out how to stop Glory first."

She turned to the others, a look of scared desperation in her eyes. "Help me. Please?"

Everyone shifted uncomfortably in their seats, not having the answers which Buffy clearly wanted to hear. Spike was again filled with the need to hold and comfort Buffy but kept silent.

"I've got it!" Anya cried triumphantly, causing everyone in the room to jump. "Buffy, you remember the monk that told you about Dawn being the Key? Well, he gave you that globe, remember. The Dagonsphere. He said it would repel Glory. We've still got it in the basement of the shop"

Buffy's eyed widened with the realisation. How could she have forgotten something so important? Anya wasn't finished though. She moved behind the shop counter and pointed to Olaf's hammer.

"This is a magical weapon. I'm pretty sure it'll work against a God."

Buffy stared at Anya in total surprise. She was the last person Buffy would have imagined to come up with a plan.

"Um...thanks, Anya. I think that'll work."

Anya shot her a beaming smile, proud to have been the one to come up with the plan. She moved back over to the others and snuggled next to Xander.

"I love you." He whispered, pressing a small kiss to her temple.

Giles stood up and moved over to Buffy, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Buffy, you have to consider what you are going to do if you can't get to Dawn in time to stop the ritual."

Buffy stiffened under his hand and jerked back. "There's nothing to consider. I'm not going to kill my sister."

Giles sighed. "You're willing to allow the rest of the world to be destroyed in order to protect someone who isn't even really your sister?"

Buffy met his eyes, firm resolve etched into her face. She wasn't going to back down.

"I don't care what happens." She said, her voice low and dangerously calm. "I'm not going to kill Dawn, and if you try to do it yourself then I'll kill you."

She turned to the others. "The same goes for all of you. We're going there to save Dawn or die trying. Anyone who has any other ideas will have to go through me, understood?"

Everyone remained silent; none of them had seen Buffy like this before.

"Good." Buffy replied, taking their silence as an acceptance of her words.

She turned back to Giles who was looking both shocked and hurt by her earlier words. "How long do we have until the ritual?"

Giles swallowed. "A couple of hours."

Buffy nodded. "I don't want to get there too early. It might give Glory a chance to re-group if something goes wrong. You guys grab any weapons or anything you need. I'll go and find the Dagonsphere"

As soon as she was satisfied that they all had their instructions, Buffy turned and headed into the basement. She had to keep herself busy or she was going to explode.

* * *

She wasn't sure how long she'd been down there, throwing things around carelessly in her search. She imagined Anya was up there worrying about the damage being done to the merchandise. If she had any sense she'd stay up there though.

As she searched her mind went back to the events that had happened upstairs

She had felt such a cold rage looking in her watcher's eyes, daring him to tell her she had to kill her baby sister. She still couldn't believe he'd even suggested it. This was Giles, the one person who was always on her side regardless of anything and she had stood before him and actually threatened to kill him. Could she do it? If it were a choice between him and Dawn, could she do it?

Her memories drifted back even further, to when she and Dawn had been growing up together. She remembered Dawn's big brown eyes framed by bouncing brown locks. Chubby little Dawn learning to walk and stumbling into her arms. Dawn smiling excitedly as she let her paint her big sister's toenails with new glittery nail polish. Dawn begging to wear her new shoes with a heel way too big for any pre-teen. Dawn weeping on her shoulder because their mother wasn't there to hold her anymore.

Buffy lifted her head. Yes, she could do it. She'd do anything to keep her sister safe.

She was brought from her thoughts by the sound of coming down the stairs. She braced herself ready for another confrontation

"Go away, Giles." She said, continuing her attack. "I've got nothing to say to you."

"It's not Giles." A different voice replied, but one that was just as British.

"What do you want, Spike?" Buffy asked, still not letting up from her searching

He moved over so that he was stood in front of her and as she threw more things around her caught her wrist and held onto it. Buffy glared at him in annoyance.

"You _really_ don't want to piss me off right now."

"Actually I do." Spike replied. "It'll help you fight better. What _won't_ help is if you waste all your energy chucking things all over the place down here."

Buffy sighed and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "What do you want me to do? Just sit around and think about the fact that the world might end tonight and that the only thing that will stop it is the death of my sister?"

Ignoring her words Spike reached into a box and pulled out a small yellow orb, handing it to Buffy.

"How did you-?" She asked and then shook her head. "Never mind."

She studied the object carefully; it seemed too small and fragile in her hands. "Hard to believe something like this will help take down a god."

She moved over and sat down on a pile of old crates. Spike followed and took a seat opposite her.

"I suppose you've come to talk me into the saving the world?" Buffy asked with a wry smile. "That's funny coming from you."

Spike shook his head. "No, that's not why I came. I just wanted you to know that I'm with you all the way. Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it."

Buffy looked at him in surprise; she hadn't expected this from him at all. "It doesn't bother you that you might not make it tonight?"

Spike shrugged. "We all gotta go sooner or later. Least I'll go down fighting."

Buffy nodded, knowing she had his support meant a lot to her. The more people they had fighting on their side the better, and Spike's strength and fighting skills would certainly be useful.

She stood up. "I gotta go pick up some more weapons. Wanna come?"

Spike rose and nodded. "Lead on Macduff."

As they moved towards the stairs Buffy tripped over some books she had thrown across the room and reached out to steady herself. Her hand grabbed hold of an old cloth and as she pulled herself upright the cloth fell away to reveal the Buffybot. Her eyes open and staring straight ahead.

Buffy gasped for a moment, not realising right away what she was looking at. Spike on the other hand, winced and shifted uncomfortably. Everything had happened so fast since his torture at Glory's hands that Buffy had never really had the chance to address the issue of the robot. He'd really hoped she might forget about it.

"I'd forgotten about this." Buffy said quietly, almost as though she was reading his mind. "Willow wanted to keep it to see how it worked."

For once Spike didn't know what to say. "Buffy, I-"

She turned about to face him, raising her hand to stop him from talking. "Spike, it's ok. I get why you did it."

His eyes widened a little in surprise. Now this he really hadn't expected. He's been ready for shouting; yelling and possible even a threat or two. Not this.

"It doesn't make it ok." Buffy continued. "It's still gross. But I know what it's like to feel lonely."

This surprised Spike even more. He'd never imagined loneliness was something Buffy ever had a problem with. He took a small step forward and reached a hand out to touch her shoulder, thinking better of it at the last minute and letting it fall to his side.

"You're not alone, love. You've got all your Scooby friends."

She raised her eyes to meet his and Spike saw tears glistening in them. "Spike, I love my friends more than anything. But you can't imagine the number of times I feel like I'm holding them back. There's going to be a time when they want to settle down and have their own lives, not going out every night to risk themselves to help me. I'm the Slayer, not them and soon enough I really will be alone."

Spike looked at her closely, this woman with the strength of ten men and the emotional vulnerability of the twenty-year-old she was.

"Buffy." He said softly. "I can't promise what's going to happen in the future. But as long as you need me I'll be here. We're both fighters and I'll do everything I can to help you."

Buffy blinked a couple of time, trying to clear her misty vision. She'd never imagined that the one person to give her the most comfort when she needed it would be a soulless vampire. Without thinking about him she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.

"Thank you." She whispered, using all her strength to resist the urge to cry.

"You're welcome." Spike replied with a small smile. "Now let's go and kick some hell-god ass."

Nobody questioned Buffy when she said she was going home to get weapons and that Spike was going with her. Seeing her earlier had shown them all that it was useless to argue with her about anything. Instead they busied themselves preparing for the upcoming battle.

* * *

The walk to Buffy's house was made mostly in silence. Buffy was focusing on the battle plan and Spike didn't want to say anything that was going to result in him getting staked. He could see that her nerves were on edge and there was no way he was going to make it any worse.

All too soon they were stood on her front porch and Spike was watching warily as Buffy unlocked the front door. She stepped inside and headed towards the stairs, not looking back.

"If you grab the stuff in the living room, I'll-"

She stopped when she realised he was still stood outside and turned back to face him. Spike pressed his hand against the invisible barrier that held him out.

"Look, you don't have to-" Spike began but was cut off by Buffy.

"Spike, you can come in."

For a moment it looked as though he was going to topple off the porch in shock. Then his face softened and he gingerly stepped over the threshold so that he was inside and only a few steps away from Buffy.

"I know you only invited me because you need me." He said softly. "If you want to de-invite me when this is all over then I understand. Assuming the world still exists of course."

Buffy gave him a small smile and took a step forward. "If the world still exists then you're welcome back here anytime."

Spike swallowed hard. This had to be some sort of freakish nightmare. He never imagined Buffy would be saying these words to him.

"Guess I'd better make sure we win then." He said with a small grin.

Buffy turned as if to head upstairs but at the last moment turned back. "Promise me you'll protect her. If something happens to me, or if I can't get to her in time promise me you'll keep her safe as long as possible."

Spike nodded. He'd do anything Buffy asked, even if it meant he died trying. "I promise."

Buffy gave him a small smile of thanks before heading up the stairs.

Spike headed into the living room and pulled out a couple of small battle-axes. It would be enough to keep Glory's minions at bay while Buffy fought her. Heading back into the hallway he looked up the stairs and saw no sign of Buffy. He hoped she hadn't gone comatose or anything again.

A few more minutes passed and finally he headed upstairs to check on her. Gently pushing open her bedroom door he was shocked to find it empty. This wasn't good. He was about to head back downstairs when he saw a small shaft of light coming from one of the other bedrooms. Dawn's.

Quietly he pushed the door open and saw Buffy sat on the edge of Dawn's bed, a photograph in her lap. She was gazing down at it with tears in her eyes.

"I remember when this was taken." She said softly, not looking up at him but clearly knowing he was there. Spike moved over and sat down beside her, leaning over to look at the photo. It was one of the Summers family. Buffy, Joyce and Dawn all sat out in the park with big smiles on their faces. Full of life and happiness.

"It was last year." Buffy continued. "Before Mom got sick and Glory turned up. We spent the summer just doing dumb stuff like going to the park for picnics."

She raised her eyes to meet his, pain radiating from them. "Now do you see why I can't kill Dawn. I've already lost my Mom. I can't lose anyone else. I just can't."

She began to sob and Spike instinctively took the photo from her, putting it to one side and wrapping his arms around her while she cried.

"I miss my Mom so much." Buffy sniffled, burying her face him his chest and allowing everything she'd been bottling up inside to flow out.

"Shh, I know you do." Spike soothed, stroking her hair. He paused for a moment before adding; "I still remember what it feels like."

Buffy raised her head to look at him, confusion in her eyes. Spike smiled gently, he'd never told anyone what he was about to tell her. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

"I've been a vampire for one hundred and twenty-odd years. I've seen a lot of death; hell I caused most of it. I can't even remember most of the people I killed, guess that's what comes from having no soul. One thing I'll never forget though is how much it hurt when my father died. It happened before I was turned and I can still remember it as clear as it was yesterday."

"I'm Sorry." Buffy whispered, knowing how much it must be paining him to talk about it again.

Spike shook his head. "There's no need for you to be sorry. I'm just trying to tell you that the pain will never fully go away, but give it time and you'll be able to carry on. You'll be able to think about the happy times you had with your mum without it hurting as much as it does now."

Buffy gave him a small smile and wiped her eyes, wondering if it would be possible for Spike to surprise her any more than he already had tonight.

"We should go." She said, finally having composed herself

Spike nodded and the two of them climbed to their feet, ready for the battle at last. Grabbing everything they needed they hurried back to the shop. It was nearly time to face Glory.

* * *

As the gang silently followed Tara to where Glory was clearly preparing for her ritual. Each of them was now facing the possibility of death, as well as yet another apocalypse.

"Ok, how did we miss this?" Buffy asked incredulously as they came to a stop, a tall tower looming above them. It must have been at least 200 feet tall.

"I guess this is it." Willow said nervously. "Wish me luck."

"We're right behind you, Wills." Buffy said reassuringly.

As her friend slowly crept into the compound Buffy turned to the others.

"Ok, once Willow has tried her magic on Glory we attacks. You guys go for the minions, hit them hard and fast. I'll go after Glory. Whatever happens we have to keep her away from Dawn."

Everyone nodded grimly, the reality of the situation finally hitting them.

"Ok, let's go."

As the moved forward Spike caught hold of Buffy's wrist, gently pulling her back to face him.

"Good luck." He whispered, leaning down and placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

Buffy gave him a small smile. "Thanks. You too."

And with that they headed in different directions, both of them with the minds fully focused on their tasks.

* * *

Spike held back, watching with anticipation as Willow worked her spell. He was forced to shield his eyes as the light from the magic flared, and when he looked again there was no sign of Willow or Tara. What he did see was Glory stumbling around like some sort of drunkard. Whatever it was Willow had done it had clearly weakened the god. Looks like Buffy was up.

He watched with satisfaction at the woman he loved pounded her enemy with everything she had, not letting Glory so much as get a punch in. If she could keep her away from the tower a few minutes longer then it would all be over. Now it was time for him to get in some kicks of his own

* * *

Five minutes later Spike let out a growl of frustration as he, Xander and Anya were forced to take cover behind a pile of building materials. It was starting to seem hopeless. No matter how many of Glory's minion's they beat there seemed to be more and more of them. He glanced over at the tower. It didn't look as though Glory had managed to make it there yet, but as long as Dawn was still at the top there was a risk that something could happen. He _had_ to get up there.

"Hey." A voice whispered as Willow and Tara scurried over to join them. "Have you seen Buffy?"

Spike shook his head. "I'm guessing she's still dealing with Glory."

"W-what about Dawn?" Tara asked, filled with guilt over the knowledge that she'd been the one to give Dawn away. Even if it had been an accident.

"She's up there." Spike replied. "Glad to see you're back among the sane, anyway."

Tara smiled shyly before moving her gaze to the tower. Suddenly she gasped.

"Someone is up there with Dawn. I can sense it, it's so dark, so cold."

"Glory?" Willow asked fearfully.

Tara shook her head. "No, this is something different. Not human."

Spike growled again, seeing the masses of people blocking the stairway. "I've got to get up there. I promised Buffy I'd keep Dawn safe."

At the sound of the Slayer's name everyone seemed to rally themselves.

"We'll clear the way for you and stop anyone following." Willow said with resolve. "When I say run, go for it and don't stop."

Spike nodded and readied himself.

Willow reached for Tara's hand and they two of them began to chant softly under their breath. Xander and Anya tightened the grip on their weapons, ready to fight as soon as they were needed.

"Go!" Willow shouted and Spike ran as fast as he could towards the steps. He felt the energy of Willow and Tara's spell rush past him and barely caught a glimpse of the minions being pushed aside. Not looking back he sprinted up the steps as fast as his legs would take him. All the while praying that he wasn't going to be too late.

* * *

Buffy smashed the hammer into Glory's face again and again, never once giving the God the chance to recover from the blows. She'd keep this up all night if she had to, anything to keep Dawn safe.

To her surprise, however, Glory began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Buffy snapped, hitting her with the hammer once again.

Glory doubled over, panting for breath. "You think I'm the only one that can perform the ritual?"

Buffy froze as realisation dawned on her. She dropped the hammer and ran for the stairs.

"You'll be too late." Glory called. "It's about to start."

Taking a wheezing breath she sank down to the floor and morphed back into Ben.

He became aware of the battle raging around him and gasped. Everything was so real now. People were being hurt and he was partially responsible for it. His eyes moved up to the tower. He knew Dawn was up there and that in a few short minutes she would be dead and hell would be unleashed on earth. He wasn't even in a position to stop it now. He'd never be able to reach Dawn in time. All he could do was wait.

* * *

Spike reached the top of the tower and wasn't as surprised as he'd expected to be when he saw who it was with Dawn.

"Spike!" Dawn cried fearfully, her eyes wide with terror. "Help me."

"Don't worry, 'bit. I'll soon have you down from there." Spike replied as confidently as he could. "I just need to have a word with the Doc first."

Doc's eyes glittered and he pulled a watch out of his pocked. "I'm afraid I really don't have the time to spare."

Spike shrugged. "You'll have to make time. I'm not letting you near her."

A large, reptilian tongue shot out of Doc's mouth, hitting Spike square in the chest and sending him propelling backwards.

Spike jumped to his feet and lunged forward, tackling Doc to the ground. Doc was fast though, quickly flipping Spike over and plunging the knife into his chest. Spike screamed in pain as Doc climbed to his feet and looked at the bloodied weapon in his hand.

"Oh dear. Now this does make things awkward."

He smiled at Dawn as he wiped the knife on his coat. "I'll be with you in one moment."

He froze however, as he heard a groan coming from behind him.

Spike climbed to his feet a little more slowly this time and prepared to face Doc again.

"I said you're not going to get near her." Spike hissed, trying to ignore the bleeding wound in his chest.

Doc looked at Spike curiously. "I never known a soulless vampire care about humans before. What happened to you?"

Spike shrugged. "Well, I met this girl and....you know what, it's a long story. Why don't we just get on with the fighting."

Doc nodded. "Yes, time really is of the essence here."

He darted forward so quickly that Spike didn't even see it. The next thing he knew he had his arms pinned behind his back and was being forced to face Dawn.

"Since you care so much about this girl I'll give you the chance to say goodbye."

Dawn's eyes widened in horror as she realised what she was about to see.

"No." Spike whispered softly, realising that he'd failed Buffy and Dawn at the crucial moment.

"Too bad the woman you love won't get to hear your last words." Doc sneered, and with that he pushed Spike off the edge of the platform.

As he toppled forward, Spike reached back and latched his hand onto Doc's wrist. With a look of total shock, he too plummeted off the tower edge, leaving Dawn alone.

Almost seconds later Buffy arrive, panting with the exertion of running up the tower with everything she had. As she took in the situation she was relieved and a little surprised to see Dawn alone and seemingly unharmed. She hurried forward and began to work on the ropes binding her sister.

"Are you ok?" She asked as she untied Dawn's wrists. "Did they hurt you?"

Dawn shook her head, her whole body trembling with fear and shock. "This man had a knife. He was going to cut me but Spike stopped him and saved me."

Buffy smiled. That was it then. The ritual time had passed and they were safe. "Where did Spike go?"

Dawn bit her lip and began to cry, moving over to the edge of the platform. Buffy followed and the two of them peered down.

Far below them two figures lay motionless on the ground, the bleach of Spike's hair visible even from where they were.

* * *

As Buffy and Dawn reached the bottom of the steps they saw the rest of the gang gathered around Spike's body. Dawn let out a small cry and ran forward, kneeling beside the vampire. He was a mess; there was a deep gash on his head which had painted the whole of one side of his face a deep crimson. One of his legs was bent at a strange angle and there were probably more injuries that couldn't be seen.

"Is he going to be ok?" She asked tearfully, looking up to Willow for reassurance. "He saved me."

Willow looked lost for words. Spike was very badly hurt but she couldn't bring herself to tell Dawn that. It was just a good thing Spike was unconscious and therefore not in any pain.

"I'm sure he'll be fine once we get him home and take care of him." She said gently.

Buffy moved over more slowly, unable to take her eyes off Spike's crumpled form. He'd done as he'd promised and kept Dawn safe. But seeing him lying there almost lifeless brought a pain to her heart. She wanted nothing more than for him to wake up and tell her he was fine.

"Is everyone else ok?" She asked softly, trying to keep her business head on. Everyone nodded which meant that it was just Spike who needed help. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her keys, handing them to Giles.

"My mom's car keys are on there. Can you go and get the car so we can drive him back to my house."

Giles nodded and quickly headed out of the compound.

Buffy was about to suggest moving Spike into a sheltered area before the sun rose when something made her stop. A strange sound, like a series of low pops and cracks. Dawn suddenly let out a scream and Buffy whipped around, ready to fight whatever it was.

What she saw made her stomach churn. It was a small old man, or at least it would have looked like a man if half of his joints hadn't been pointed in the wrong direction. Buffy guessed this was the guy Spike had stopped from cutting Dawn.

Dawn was the first to move, swallowing her fear and moving to stand in front of Spike, her arms crossed over her chest. Spike had saved her now she was going to do all she could to return the favour.

"Stay away from him."

The rest of the gang followed suit, forming a protective semi-circle around the fallen vampire.

"The vampire must pay." Doc gurgled, his voice rattling in his chest as the result of several broken ribs. "He stopped the bleeding. Glorificus will be most displeased."

"Too bad if she is." Another voice replied.

All heads turned to see Ben stumbling towards the group, his face battered and bloodied from Glory's fight with Buffy. For the first time Doc looked scared.

"Forgive me." He whispered.

Ben laughed, a harsh and cold sound that made the humans cringe.

"Well, I'm a bit torn about that one." Ben replied bitterly. "You see, personally I'm glad you failed and that Dawn didn't have to die. But Glory, well she's another matter. If I were you I'd get out of here before she shows up again."

Slowly the fear melted from Doc's face and he began to grin.

"Well, I suppose I should make sure that doesn't happen then."

He raised his hand to reveal the knife that had been intended for Dawn and just as he had done with Spike he plunged it into the young intern's chest. Ben barely had time to scream before the life faded from his eyes and he dropped to the floor, dead.

Doc chuckled and raised his head to look at the others who were all staring at him in horror. Dawn had her face buried in Xander's chest so she wouldn't have to look at Ben's body.

"Which one of you is next?" Doc asked.

Buffy stepped forward, axe in hand.

"I think you are." She replied, swinging at him hard and swiping his head clean off his body.

"Let's see you get up from that." She told the headless corpse with grim satisfaction before moving back to join the others.

"Is it over?" Dawn whimpered, not wanting to look unless she had to.

"Yeah." She replied softly. "It's over. And as soon as Giles gets back with the car we can get out of here."

As if one cue, the gang found themselves blinded by headlights as Giles slowly pulled in and stopped the car. Carefully Buffy and Giles loaded Spike in, stretching him across the back seats. Then leaving the others to walk the short distance, they drove home.

* * *

With a minimal amount of effort Buffy and Giles managed to carry Spike inside and manoeuvre him up the stairs into her Mom's room. Once he was settled down they tended to his injuries as best they could and managed to force some blood down his throat. Now all that was left to do was wait for him to wake up.

Buffy opted to sit beside him for a while. She owed him that at least. After all he had just saved the world.

She'd been sat with him for about an hour when Spike finally groaned; opening his eyes and seeming surprised to find himself tucked up in bed.

"Hey." Buffy said softly, moving over to perch on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I took a nosedive off an enormous tower." Spike chuckled.

Buffy smiled. If he was well enough to crack jokes then he was going to be fine.

"I take it by the rather comfy surroundings that the world didn't end." Spike said, attempting to sit up and then thinking better of it and settling himself back down.

"Nope. Congratulations, Spike. You just averted your first apocalypse."

Spike chuckled again. "Makes a change from trying to cause them I suppose. Is Nibblet ok?"

Buffy nodded. "She's fine, and I'm sure she'll want to come in and thank you for saving her as soon as I tell her you're awake."

"Well, I made a promise didn't I."

Buffy paused for a moment and looked at him. _Really_ looked at him. Before all she had seen was a sick and twisted vampire who _thought_ he had feelings for her but didn't. Now as she looked at him, badly hurt for the second time in an effort to keep Dawn safe, she saw that he really did love her. And what surprised her more was that she found herself warming to him too. She didn't love him, not yet at least. But for the first time she imagined that she might be able to in the future.

Just as she had done after his bout of Glory torture, Buffy leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Thank you for keeping your promise, Spike." She whispered softly. "Now get some sleep so that next time I do that I don't have to worry about hurting you."

With a quick smile she headed out, closing the door behind her and leaving a bemused vampire in her wake. As he ran over what had just happened, a goofy grin spread over his face.

"Next time? I can live with that."

With that he closed his eyes and settled himself down to sleep, knowing that when he woke he's have something small, blonde and Slayer shaped to look forward to.

The End.


End file.
